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Jim Justice
Jim Justice (born 1968) is an American actor, philanthropist, entertainer, artist, athlete, and politician, a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota, and the current Governor of Minnesota. Justice was a childhood actor in his youth, before playing in the NHL as a Center for the Minnesota North Stars, before their relocation to Dallas. He later took up work as a businessman, actor, entertainer, and philanthropist. He was first elected to public office as the Deputy Mayor of Minneapolis in 2001. Justice served as the Mayor of Minneapolis upon the Mayor's death, before being elected as Secretary of State in 2007. Justice was elected as Governor in 2010, and re-elected in 2014. Justice currently holds the highest elected position of any member of the Minnesota Independence Party or Reform, and is the party's only Governor. Early Childhood, Acting Career, and Education Justice was born on May 11, 1968, in Craigsville, Minnesota, to a lumberjack and waitress, an only child. At a young age, Justice's parents brought him to tryouts for a child acting role, and, obtaining the part, he began his career. Justice would play a role as a child actor throughout his youth in a long-running television series popular in the state, along with other acting roles. Justice's child acting career ended at age sixteen, after reaching puberty. Justice transferred to Shattuck-Saint Mary's Mission School for his senior year of high school, and played for the school's amateur hockey team, turning in an impressive performance. NHL Career Upon graduating high school, Justice did not attend college, instead declaring for the NHL Draft. Justice announced that he would not sign with any team, save for the Minnesota North Stars, and was selected by them with the ninth pick in that year's draft. Justice started at center for the North Stars, and would win the Rookie of the Year award in his first season. Justice would participate in the North Stars' Cinderella run to the 1991 Stanley Cup Finals, winning Finals MVP in the North Stars' victory. Justice won the Hart Memorial Trophy in the 1992-1993 season, but retired from the NHL after the season rather than move to Dallas, in protest of the Stars' relocation. Private Sector Career Upon his retirement, Justice created a snowmobile production company, opening a manufacturing plant, but sold the company after eighteen months. Justice then debuted a line of ice skates known as the "Ice Justice" skates, which became popular within Minnesota, selling well. Justice moved into a career as a stand-up comedian, performing across the state, but ended his career after his agent departed due to Justice's refusal to move to Hollywood to further his vocational path. Justice then moved into a career as a playwright, creating a single play which was pilloried by critics, but became something of a cult classic amongst audiences. Justice moved onto attempting a career in art, with his abstract depictions of landscapes becoming fairly popular. Justice returned to his acting profession with a variety of generally local roles. He followed his return into a brief stint as a stage entertainer, while beginning work on a variety of philanthropic pursuits, including gathering funds for cancer research, and treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in clowns, though his main focus was in childrens' charities. Beginning of Political Career and Mayorship Justice's political career began in 2001, when he was chosen as the running mate as Deputy Mayor for Minneapolis. The campaign was successful, and he served in the position for two years before the Mayor's untimely death. Taking the reins unexpectedly, Justice's tenure was marked by increased involvement in children's hospitals, special education, counseling, libraries, and other such areas, along with economic growth, and a decrease in unemployment. Justice declined to run for a full term, and left office with a high favorability rating. Post-Mayoral Career Justice returned to private pursuits after the conclusion of his tenure as Mayor of Minneapolis, starting local television station that soon grew to a statewide network. Justice involved himself personally as an actor on several of the networks' shows, focusing on children's entertainment and education programs. Justice would use the funds from the network to continue his philanthropic pursuits. Re-entry into Politics Justice re-entered the political field during a recall election for the Secretary of State in 2007. Unable to gather support from either major party, Justice was picked as the nominee for the Reform Party, or Minnesota Independence Party, and was successfully elected. During Justice's tenure as Secretary of State, DMV waiting times dropped significantly, to the third-lowest in the nation, and new designs for state ID cards and drivers' licenses were issued. In 2010, Justice made his first campaign for public office in an election year, vying for Governor of Minnesota. Facing off against both a Republican and Democratic opponent, Justice emphasized his record of success as Mayor of Minneapolis, and performed well in debates, and was elected with 56% of the vote. Governor of Minnesota Justice's first term in Minnesota was primarily focused on economic issues, as Justice raised tax rates on the wealthy, while simultaneously raising Minnesota's minimum wage. The reforms proved successful, with the state economy growing in recovery from recession, and bolstering the Governor's popularity. Justice, enjoying high favorability ratings, won re-election in 2014 in a landslide victory. In his second term, Justice focused on accountability and ethics reform, firing many governmental officials considered to be corrupt, alongside various systematic reforms. The actions resulted in Minnesota receiving an A- grade from the Center for Public Integrity, the highest in the nation. In 2016, Justice focused action on addressing foster care issues in Minnesota, with a joint public-private endeavor. Additional attempts at reform were blocked by the state's legislature, despite public support. Justice publicly criticized perceived abuses of President Winston that year. Near the end of the year, Justice introduced and sought to advance campaign finance reform legislation. Justice currently holds the highest approval rating among sitting American governors. Personal Life Justice is unmarried, and considered by some to be "Minnesota's most eligible bachelor."